Hyderabad witnessed a sharp political confrontation on Sunday as the Telangana Congress staunchly defended its government's stance on irrigation projects while launching a fierce counterattack against the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
Congress Defends Facts, Labels BRS Presentation 'Misleading'
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Gandhi Bhavan, Telangana Congress working president T Jagga Reddy came out in strong support of the irrigation presentation made by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy. He categorically dismissed the recent PowerPoint presentation by former minister and BRS leader T Harish Rao as "bogus and misleading."
Jagga Reddy asserted that while Congress leaders presented factual data on the state's irrigation landscape, Harish Rao was indulging in "false calculations and political drama." He emphasized the historical contribution of Congress governments to Telangana's water infrastructure.
"Major drinking water projects such as Manjeera and Singur were built by Congress governments, and they have sustained Hyderabad for decades," Jagga Reddy stated. He pointed out a perceived irony, noting, "Both KCR (K Chandrashekar Rao) and Harish Rao had grown up drinking water supplied from these projects. But the BRS leadership is now trying to project as if the Telangana state started receiving water only after Harish Rao became the irrigation minister."
Questioning BRS's Motives and Timing
The Congress leader questioned the opposition's approach, asking why Harish Rao did not raise his concerns inside the state assembly and instead chose to make statements from the BRS office. Regarding the heated exchanges in the assembly, Jagga Reddy framed them as a necessary response to provocation. He recalled that when CM Revanth Reddy spoke of exposing KCR, the former chief minister had historically used equally harsh language.
Jagga Reddy leveled a significant allegation, claiming that KCR and Harish Rao only began vocally raising the issue of Andhra Pradesh exploiting Telangana's water resources after moving into the opposition. He reminded the public that KCR had served as a minister in the undivided Andhra Pradesh when N Chandrababu Naidu was the chief minister and had remained silent on such issues then.
"Why were meetings between chief ministers considered acceptable when KCR was the CM, but are now being politicized when Revanth Reddy holds talks with his Andhra Pradesh counterpart?" he questioned, highlighting what he called a double standard.
Defending Congress Legacy and Accusing BRS of Divisive Politics
Reflecting on past legislative conduct, Jagga Reddy recalled that Congress MLAs were previously suspended from the assembly for questioning delays in completing irrigation projects. He vigorously defended the Congress party's legacy in the region, specifically citing the tenure of former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.
He credited YSR's promise and implementation of free electricity for farmers with transforming barren lands into fertile fields across the state. Drawing a contrast between the two parties' styles, Jagga Reddy said, "The Congress built numerous projects without boasting, unlike the BRS, which built one project and spoke about it a hundred times."
In a serious charge, the TPCC leader accused Harish Rao of attempting to create a rift between the people of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, calling such politics "dangerous and misleading." He assured that the Congress government would continue to present facts to the people and would not allow what he termed as "false propaganda" to distort the state's irrigation history.
The war of words underscores the intensifying political battle in Telangana, with water resources and development claims becoming a central flashpoint between the ruling Congress and the opposition BRS.
